Colonist F is a merchant in New York City. His business imports many products from Europe, especially Britain. Colonist F has se
cretly grown concerned over the recent talk of independence from Britain. He fears an independent America could not protect his ships at sea; the British navy escorts colonial ships as they cross the Atlantic to protect the ships from pirates or foreign ships wanting to steal goods. Since the Townshend Acts, the Sons of Liberty have been bullying storeowners into removing British goods from their shelves. A store owner friend of his was badly beaten up by a mob of Son's of Liberty for selling British products. Since hearing of his friend's attack, Colonist F has participated with the boycotts.
The Industrial Revolution also led to an unprecedented rise in the rate of population growth. Textiles were the dominant industry of the Industrial Revolution in terms of employment, value of output and capital invested. The textile industry was also the first to use modern production methods.